Battle of Phuoc Long

The Battle of Phuoc Long was a battle of the Vietnam War which was fought from 12 December 1974 to 6 January 1975.

On 12 December 1974, the North Vietnamese NVA began an operation to secure the important transportation routes at Phuoc Long along the Cambodian border. They also hoped to test the US reaction to an attack on South Vietnam and to test the combat readiness of the ARVN. The NVA overwhelmed the determined ARVN forces with artillery as they launched their offensive, capturing three important outposts in the ARVN III Corps' area of operations. Soon, the NVA 4th Army Corps was in a position to surround the ARVN forces in Phuoc Long, and the ARVN were unable to bring in reinforcements to lift the siege. On 31 December 1974, the NVA began their final assault on Phuoc Long. The South Vietnamese air force repelled NVA special forces attacks on the first day of the attack, but the NVA brought in anti-aircraft guns to preventn the South Vietnamese from bringing in air power. The NVA then tightened the noose around Phuoc Long, forcing the entrapped ARVN to evacuate as many of their soldiers as they could. On 6 January 1974, the remaining 2,444 ARVN troops in Phuoc Long surrendered, and the NVA also captured 5,000 small arms and more than 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition.